U.S. patent application number 11/598265 was filed with the patent office on 2008-03-27 for hygienic-therapeutic conductive far-infrared devices.
This patent application is currently assigned to American Environmental Systems, Inc. Invention is credited to Henryk Malak.
Application Number | 20080077203 11/598265 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39226054 |
Filed Date | 2008-03-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080077203 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Malak; Henryk |
March 27, 2008 |
Hygienic-therapeutic conductive far-infrared devices
Abstract
This invention relates to novel hygienic-therapeutic or personal
care devices that are based upon intense far-infrared sources in
which radiation is generated by novel conductive materials. The
conductive materials are specially designed and made to radiate ten
to thousands times more intense far-infrared radiation than typical
conductive materials, and such strong far-infrared radiation is
achieved with high, typically greater than 90%, conversion
efficiency of energy to radiation. The radiation properties of the
proposed conductive materials do not follow the Wien's law ("black
body" law). The devices are intended to be used in therapy,
medicine, cosmetic technology, hygiene technology, or household
use.
Inventors: |
Malak; Henryk; (Ellicott
City, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Henryk Malak
8444 High Ridge Road
Ellicott City
MD
21043
US
|
Assignee: |
American Environmental Systems,
Inc
|
Family ID: |
39226054 |
Appl. No.: |
11/598265 |
Filed: |
November 13, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60846879 |
Sep 25, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
607/96 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61N 2005/0644 20130101;
A61N 5/06 20130101; A61N 2005/0645 20130101; A61N 2005/066
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
607/96 |
International
Class: |
A61F 7/00 20060101
A61F007/00; A61F 7/12 20060101 A61F007/12 |
Claims
1. A hygienic-therapeutic device comprising: an intense
far-infrared radiation source, wherein the source is made of a
conductor that is able to radiate far-infrared at the intensity
higher than is predicted by the Wien's law ("black body" law); and
an electric power supply.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the hygienic-therapeutic device
is a hair dryer, a hairbrush, a hair straightener, a comb, a
toothbrush, a body massager, an elastic bandage, a pad, a
pain-relief device, or a hygienic-therapeutic illuminator.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the power supply delivers
electric energy to the source in a single mode or a plurality modes
selected from the group of: DC, AC, frequency, or pulse, and the
mode is selected for hygienic-therapeutic purposes.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the source is also emitting other
wavelengths that are used for hygienic-therapeutic purposes.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the source is also emitting heat
that is used for hygienic-therapeutic purposes.
6. The device of claim 1 and claim 3, wherein the device is capable
of tuning a wavelength or wavelengths of the source for
hygienic-therapeutic purposes.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the source is further provided
with a dielectric/ceramic cover placed on the conductor to change a
wavelength, intensity, or to retard heat for hygienic-therapeutic
purposes.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further provided
with another type of energy source or a plurality of energy sources
for hygienic-therapeutic purposes.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further provided
with electronics and computing means for hygienic-therapeutic
purposes.
10. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is further provided
with a diagnostic feedback.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is used on the living
body for at least one purpose selected from the group of: therapy,
medicine, cosmetic, killing bacteria, killing microbes, or killing
eggs/spores.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/846,879 filed Sep. 25, 2006, entitled
"Conductive Far-Infrared Devices", which is incorporated by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention is generally related to hygienic,
therapeutic, and medical care methods, devices, and
applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The medical benefits of far-infrared radiation on the living
body have been known for a long time, and therefore, there are
far-infrared devices on the market for improving human and animal
health. Most of these devices produce far-infrared radiation by
using ceramic materials. In order to generate far-infrared
radiation at intensities suitable for therapy or sterilization, the
ceramic materials must be heated to high temperatures, sometimes
few hundred degrees C. This limits the use of existing far-infrared
devices in many hygienic-therapeutic applications, for example,
using them for dental oral care or hair care to kill bacteria and
microbes, and to rejuvenate teeth, gums and hair. In addition, the
generation of far-infrared radiation in these devices is not
energy-efficient; efficiencies typically are only a few percent or
less. Therefore, there exists a strong need for
hygienic-therapeutic far-infrared devices which will produce
intense far-infrared radiation with high efficiency, and would
operate at relatively low temperatures.
[0004] The devices with ceramic far-infrared radiation sources
might also cause some health problems. Most of the ceramics are
made from powder or clay and during their use, the ceramic
materials can chip off (erode) from the surface and can be inhaled
by the living body. Therefore, there is a great need for intense
infrared radiation sources that are more environmentally safe and
do not expose humans or animals to health risks.
[0005] Another limitation of the devices with ceramic far-infrared
radiation sources is fixed radiation spectra which cannot be
changed to increase the effectiveness of therapy. The living body
is most influenced by infrared radiation within the wavelength
range of 8 to 12 microns and many currently used devices cannot
deliver radiation at this spectral range.
[0006] To mitigate the previously stated issues of using ceramics
as far-infrared sources in hygienic-therapeutic devices, this
invention proposes to use novel conductive sources emitting intense
far-infrared radiation with a high conversion efficiency of energy
to radiation, typically greater than 90%. In nature, conductive
materials follow the "black body" radiation phenomenon and they do
not emit intense far-infrared radiation. However, there are some
conductive materials, like carbon fiber and other materials
proposed in this invention, which emit very intense far-infrared
radiation with extremely high conversion efficiencies of energy to
radiation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The invention discloses novel hygienic-therapeutic or
personal care devices that are based upon intense far-infrared
sources where radiation is generated by novel conductive materials.
The proposed conductive materials do not follow the Wien's law
("black body" law), i.e. the materials in a wide range of
temperatures have a few orders of magnitude more intense infrared
radiation than typical conductive materials. In addition, the
far-infrared sources generate radiation with very high efficiency,
typically greater than 90%.
[0008] The scope of the invention includes, for example,
far-infrared hygienic-therapeutic/personal care devices selected
from the group consisting of: toothbrush, hairbrush, hair dryer,
hair straightener, comb, elastic bandage, pad, pain-reliever
device, body massager, hygienic therapeutic illuminator, and other
far-infrared hygienic-therapeutic/personal care devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 illustrates "black body" spectra of a typical
conductor and a spectrum of a proposed carbon fiber conductor.
[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates a typical arrangement for far-infrared
radiation by a ceramic far-infrared source which is heated by a
conductor.
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates a toothbrush in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates a hair dryer in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 5 illustrates an elastic bandage in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] All patents, patent applications, and literature cited or
referenced in this description are incorporated herein by reference
in their entireties. In the case of inconsistencies, the present
disclosure, including definitions and usage, will control.
[0015] The disclosure generally describes novel
hygienic-therapeutic or personal care devices that are based upon
intense far-infrared sources in which radiation is generated by
novel conductive materials 101. The conductive materials are
specially designed and made to radiate ten to thousands times
stronger far-infrared radiation than typical conductive materials
100, and such strong far-infrared radiation is achieved with high,
typically greater than 90%, conversion efficiency of energy to
radiation. The radiation properties of the proposed conductive
materials do not follow the Wien's law ("black body" law) as is
shown in FIG. 1. The proposed far-infrared sources can be made, for
example, from a commercially available carbon fiber conductive
material 101 that emits very intense far-infrared radiation with
close to 98% conversion efficiency of electric energy to radiation
and at wavelengths within 2 microns to 14 microns as is shown in
FIG. 1. Radiation at these wavelengths is well absorbed by human or
animal bodies and as well such radiation also kills effectively
bacteria and microbes, therefore this radiation can be successfully
used for hygienic and therapeutic purposes. The disclosed devices
with the intense far-infrared sources are superior to existing
far-infrared devices that are based upon dielectric/ceramic sources
102 in which far-infrared radiation is much less intense,
conversion efficiency of energy to radiation is only a few percent
or less due to using electric heater 103 to heat up
dielectric/ceramic sources 102 (FIG. 2), the spectral radiation
properties of dielectric/ceramic sources are fixed, and their
temperatures are very high limiting their use in many
hygienic-therapeutic applications.
[0016] It should be understood that the figures illustrate certain
components (i.e., conductive source 101, dielectric-ceramic source
102, electric heater 103, power supply 104) as contained within
housing 110. In alternative embodiments, however, these components
maybe partially or wholly external to the particular devices. For
example electronics 106, a computer or processor 107 and a power
supply 104 maybe partially or wholly external to the housing 110 on
the bandage as illustrated in FIG. 5. It should also be noted that
the housing may comprise of a unitary structure or multiple
structures.
[0017] The scope of the invention includes, for example,
far-infrared hygienic-therapeutic/personal care devices selected
from the group consisting of: toothbrush, hairbrush, hair dryer,
hair straightener, comb, elastic bandage, pad, pain-reliever
device, body massager, hygienic therapeutic illuminator, and other
far-infrared hygienic-therapeutic/personal care devices. Examples
of the devices are illustrated in FIGS. 3-5.
[0018] In an embodiment, the invention considers the use of the
novel conductive materials which emit high intensity far-infrared
radiation. The conductive material, for example, a carbon fiber
made as a wire 101, is placed in a toothbrush head and connected to
a toothbrush battery 104 as is shown in FIG. 3. The strong
far-infrared radiation emitted by the wire in the toothbrush is
used for dental oral care. The wire may be covered with the
dielectric/ceramic material 102 or may be embedded into an infrared
transparent plastic to alter the spectral properties of the
far-infrared radiation source 101 or to convert wavelengths of the
far-infrared radiation source into to wavelengths that are more
suitable for use in hygienic-therapeutic applications. The proposed
far-infrared toothbrush is a novel hygienic-therapeutic device that
provides, for dental oral care, two additional non-invasive
functions: sterilization and rejuvenation of teeth and gums.
Another example of the proposed device is a hair dryer shown in
FIG. 4. In the proposed hair dryer, electric heating wires are made
of the far-infrared conductive material 101 that is emitting high
intensity far-infrared radiation with the high-efficiency
conversion of electricity to radiation, typically greater than 90%.
Therefore, the proposed hair dryer may consume less electric energy
in addition to lower electrical consumption due to a much faster
hair drying time using far-infrared radiation. So, it is expected
that the proposed hair dryer will use only 50% or less of the
electric energy that is used by the regular hair dryers. In
addition, hair drying will be less damaging to hair, and more
hygienic and therapeutical. The intense far-infrared emitted by the
hair dryer can also be successfully used for killing microbes,
microbe eggs/spores in hair and scalp, and as well for healing skin
diseases, like for example, psoriasis. Therefore, the hair dryer
can also be qualified as a medical device. Another example of the
device is an elastic bandage that is shown in FIG. 5. The
far-infrared conductive material 101 is embedded into a textile
material 110 and connected to power supply 104, electronics 106
and/or computer 107. When current passes through the elastic
bandage, it generates strong far-infrared radiation and residual
heat which are used for hygienic-therapeutic purposes. Please note
that arrangements/designs of the far-infrared source in the devices
show in FIGS. 3-5 are only examples, therefore the invention is not
limited to these arrangements/designs.
[0019] The scope of the invention includes far-infrared sources
made of the novel conductive materials selected from the group of:
super conductive, conductive, or semiconductive. These materials
emit far-infrared radiation at intensities much higher, usually ten
to thousands times higher, than is predicted by the Wien's law
("black body" law). In addition, these materials produce this
radiation with very high efficiency.
[0020] Another embodiment of the invention considers delivering
electric energy to the radiation source 101 in different modes: DC
(direct current), AC (alternative current), frequency, or pulse.
The use of the single mode or the plurality modes in the device
allows tuning the far-infrared radiation of the device according to
body properties and hygienic-therapeutic needs.
[0021] Although the invention has been explained in relation to its
preferred embodiment as mentioned above, it is to be understood
that many other possible modifications and variations can be made
without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is,
therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will
cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true
scope of the invention.
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